In recent years, there have been improvements in combating racism and intolerance, but more work is needed, according to experts from the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) in their sixth report on Portugal, released today.
Researchers express concern about bullying cases targeting migrant, black, Roma, and LGBTI students, having gathered reports and identified gaps and discrepancies hindering an inclusive education system.
In the subject of “Citizenship and Development,” for instance, there are significant discrepancies between schools regarding time allocation and content covered.
While in early years these topics are integrated into the general curriculum, at higher levels, the subject becomes autonomous. Since schools have autonomy over the subjects, some fail to address issues like racism and intolerance against black, LGBTI, or Roma individuals, according to the independent experts.
ECRI recommends that Portuguese authorities make human rights education mandatory in the curriculum, including minimum obligatory content in all schools to combat racism, intolerance, and discrimination against black, Roma, and LGBTI people.
The experts also call for initial and continuous teacher training and advocate for mandatory training on equality and non-discrimination, particularly for those teaching “Citizenship.”
In the report released today, the Council of Europe’s advisory body acknowledges the implementation of positive measures such as the Intercultural Education Schools Network and civil society projects like “LGBTI Education” by the Ex Aequo Network and anti-racism training by the Educar Group.
ECRI recommends increased support for these projects in light of the rise in bullying cases, particularly against migrant, black, Roma, and LGBTI students.
According to a survey conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 71% of LGBTIQ respondents reported being victims of insults, threats, or humiliation.
ECRI advises authorities to strengthen actions to prevent and combat racist and LGBTI-phobic bullying, through teacher training, enhanced incident monitoring systems with disaggregated data, and targeted prevention policies for more vulnerable students.
Independent experts welcome the publication of two practical guidelines – the “Guide to Prevent and Combat Racial Discrimination in Schools” and the “Guide on the Right to Be Yourself in School” (designed for LGBTI students) – and recommend their widespread dissemination within the school community.
The plan “School without Bullying, School without Violence” is also praised by researchers, who regret that the digital incident reporting platform does not allow data extraction disaggregated by prejudice motive, age, or gender.
Researchers also reviewed educational materials and lament the lack of efforts to improve teaching about Portugal’s colonial history, slavery, and violence in former colonies.
They recommend revising school textbooks and curricular content and providing teachers with adequate training on colonialism, slavery, and their connections to contemporary racism.
Another point highlighted in the study is the low representation of black and Roma individuals in school curricula, urging authorities to encourage a positive representation of these communities and support the hiring of Roma and African-origin teachers.
